Pollinator plant

purple foxglove

Digitalis purpurea

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Common names

46 names · 36 languages
EnglishYour language
Other languages (35)
Dutch
  • Gewoon vingerhoedskruid
  • Vingerhoedskruid[1][3]
French
Armenian
  • Մատնոցուկ ծիրանագույն[3]
Basque
  • kuku-praka[3]
Bulgarian
  • Червен напръстник[3]
Catalan
+1 more nameShow fewer names
  • herba didalera[3]
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Czech
  • náprstník červený[3]
Danish
  • Almindelig fingerbøl[3]
Downriver Halkomelem
  • x̌ʷəx̌ʷaʔa:s[3]
Estonian
  • verev sõrmkübar[3]
Finnish
  • rohtosormustinkukka[3]
Galician
German
Hungarian
  • piros gyűszűvirág[3]
Irish
Italian
Japanese
  • キツネノテブクロ[3]
Korean
  • 디기탈리스[3]
Latvian
  • Sarkanā uzpirkstīte[3]
Lithuanian
  • Paprastoji rusmenė[3]
Luxembourgish
  • Fangerhutt[3]
Norwegian
  • revebjelle[3]
Polish
  • Naparstnica purpurowa[3]
Portuguese
Quechua
  • Wiswinku, wiswi tika[3]
Russian
  • Наперстянка пурпурная[3]
Slovak
  • Náprstník červený[3]
Slovenian
  • škrlatni naprstec[3]
Spanish
+1 more nameShow fewer names
Swedish
  • Fingerborgsblomma[3]
Turkish
  • Yaygın Yüksük Otu[3]
Ukrainian
  • Наперсник пурпуровий[3]
Welsh
  • Menyg Ellyllon[3]
Sources & name notes (5)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Catalogue language labels are reviewed separately from botanical source records.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Digitalis purpurea — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy. This is a common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • purple foxglove — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Roter Fingerhut — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Common Foxglove — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Foxglove — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • campanita montés — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • cola de borrego — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Dedalera — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • digital — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • digitale pourpre — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Digitale à fleurs blanches — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Digitale rossa — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Vingerhoedskruid — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • dedaleira — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
[2] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Digitalis purpurea ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Purple Foxglove (EN) — VernacularName.tsv, line 158955; taxon 3639Z.
  • Roter Fingerhut (DE) — VernacularName.tsv, line 158956; taxon 3639Z.
[3] Digitalis purpurea — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • purple foxglove — results[9].names[2]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Roter Fingerhut — results[9].names[4]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Common Foxglove — results[9].names[7]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Foxglove — results[9].names[22]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • campanita montés — results[9].names[10]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • cola de borrego — results[9].names[12]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Dedalera — results[9].names[1]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • digital — results[9].names[5]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • digitale pourpre — results[9].names[11]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Digitale à fleurs blanches — results[9].names[15]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Digitale rossa — results[9].names[33]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Vingerhoedskruid — results[9].names[3]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • dedaleira — results[9].names[8]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Наперстянка пурпурная — results[9].names[9]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Fangerhutt — results[9].names[13]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • náprstník červený — results[9].names[14]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • revebjelle — results[9].names[16]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • 毛地黃 — results[9].names[17]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Almindelig fingerbøl — results[9].names[18]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • rohtosormustinkukka — results[9].names[19]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Naparstnica purpurowa — results[9].names[20]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Paprastoji rusmenė — results[9].names[21]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Fingerborgsblomma — results[9].names[23]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • キツネノテブクロ — results[9].names[24]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • verev sõrmkübar — results[9].names[25]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • 디기탈리스 — results[9].names[26]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • 毛地黄 — results[9].names[27]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Lus mór — results[9].names[28]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Dedaleira — results[9].names[29]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Մատնոցուկ ծիրանագույն — results[9].names[30]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • kuku-praka — results[9].names[31]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Червен напръстник — results[9].names[32]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Wiswinku, wiswi tika — results[9].names[34]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • piros gyűszűvirág — results[9].names[35]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Наперсник пурпуровий — results[9].names[36]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Náprstník červený — results[9].names[37]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • digital — results[9].names[38]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • didalera — results[9].names[39]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • didals — results[9].names[40]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • herba didalera — results[9].names[41]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Menyg Ellyllon — results[9].names[42]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • škrlatni naprstec — results[9].names[43]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • x̌ʷəx̌ʷaʔa:s — results[9].names[44]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Sarkanā uzpirkstīte — results[9].names[45]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Yaygın Yüksük Otu — results[9].names[46]; taxon id 53983; Digitalis purpurea.
[4] Digitalis purpurea — Plant Toolbox common names ↗

NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; English common names in a United States horticultural reference.

Source records
  • Common Foxglove — ul#common_names > li:nth-of-type(1); heading: Common Name(s):; Digitalis purpurea.
  • Foxglove — ul#common_names > li:nth-of-type(2); heading: Common Name(s):; Digitalis purpurea.
[5] Royal Horticultural Society — common names ↗

Names retained from the referenced botanical profile or table.

Source records
  • common foxglove — Page 2, column 2, row top 142 pt; common-name cell after Digitalis purpurea.; Digitalis purpurea.
Plant references

Source-backed information

Published observations for this plant. Each reference supports the information beside it.

Taxonomy
Digitalis purpurea is an accepted species in Catalogue of Life.

Taxonomic treatment in the August 2026 release; the catalogue record name is preserved.

Sources [1]
Botanical family
Plantaginaceae

Family in the cited taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1]
Mature height
0.61–1.52 m

NC State Extension profile. Converted from the source range in feet and inches; mature size varies with growing conditions.

Sources [2]
Mature spread
0.3–0.76 m

NC State Extension profile. Converted from the source range in feet and inches; mature size varies with growing conditions.

Sources [2]
Plant habit
Clumping; Dense; Erect

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Life cycle
Biennial

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Growth rate
Medium

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Foliage
Deciduous

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Moisture and drainage
Good Drainage; Moist

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Soil texture
High Organic Matter

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)

NC State Extension profile. These source categories do not certify the catalogue’s numeric pH interval.

Sources [2]
Flowering season
Spring; Summer

NC State Extension profile. Seasons reflect the source region and do not verify the catalogue’s exact flowering months.

Sources [2]
Reported wildlife attraction
Listed as attracting: bees, butterflies, pollinators.

NC State Extension profile. Broad wildlife categories; this does not establish flower visits by a named bee species or quantify nectar and pollen.

Sources [2]
Pollinator guidance
RHS includes Digitalis purpurea in its Plants for Pollinators guidance.

RHS planting guidance. Choose accessible flowers with pollen and nectar; reduced-resource and double-flowered forms may be unsuitable.

Sources [3]
Native range
W. & SW. Europe to N. Morocco.

Explicit native locality records in Kew WCVP v16; introduced and doubtful distributions excluded. Continent conversion follows the documented geographic mapping.

Sources [4]
Catalogue ratings

Who this plant supports

Honey bees

Low suitability
Nectar value Low
Pollen value Low
Plant profile

About this plant

purple foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is a herbaceous plant. Its flowering period is not specified.

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Catalogue of Life Digitalis purpurea — Catalogue of Life COL26.8

    COL26.8 (2026-08-20). Contributing checklist: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World. This is taxonomic evidence, not an independent ecological study.

    Supports: TaxonomyBotanical family
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: NameUsage.tsv line 90825; ID 3639Z; rank species; status accepted
    • Botanical family: NameUsage.tsv line 90825; ID 3639Z; rank species; status accepted

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 4.0.

  2. NC State Extension Digitalis purpurea — Plant Toolbox

    NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Growing conditions and seasons reflect its United States horticultural context.

    Supports: Mature heightMature spreadPlant habitLife cycleGrowth rateFoliageLightMoisture and drainageSoil textureSoil pHFlowering seasonReported wildlife attraction
    Relevant sections
    • Mature height: Dimensions / Height
    • Mature spread: Dimensions / Width
    • Plant habit: Habit/Form
    • Life cycle: Life Cycle
    • Growth rate: Growth Rate
    • Foliage: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
    • Light: Light
    • Moisture and drainage: Soil Drainage
    • Soil texture: Soil Texture
    • Soil pH: Soil pH
    • Flowering season: Flower Bloom Time
    • Reported wildlife attraction: Attracts

    Source checked on .

  3. Royal Horticultural Society RHS Plants for Pollinators — Wildflowers

    RHS planting guidance; applicable flower-form restrictions are retained. General recommendations do not measure local nectar or pollen production.

    Supports: Pollinator guidance
    Relevant sections
    • Pollinator guidance: Page 2, column 2, entry Digitalis purpurea (top 142 pt)

    Source checked on .

  4. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Digitalis purpurea — Kew WCVP native distribution

    Native distribution and taxonomic treatment from the official WCVP v16 export (4 June 2026). The link opens the corresponding POWO taxon. Source rows are retained in the native-range audit archive.

    Supports: Native range
    Relevant sections
    • Native range: WCVP v16; wcvp_names.csv lines 780257; wcvp_distribution.csv native locality lines 1338368, 1338369, 1338370, 1338372, 1338373, 1338374, 1338378, 1338379, 1338380, 1338381, 1338382, 1338391

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.